Reusable zipper-reconfigurable shipping box

ABSTRACT

A reusable shipping box with a shipping container state and a compacted state is disclosed. The reusable shipping box may comprise a lid that seals the shipping box, a base, and a set of four sidewalls. The shipping box may also comprise a zipper that: (i) zips down from the lid to the base between two adjacent sidewalls in the set of four sidewalls; (ii) is closed in the shipping container state; and (iii) is open in the compacted state. The shipping box may also comprise a cavity that is: (i) surrounded by the set of four sidewalls, the lid, and the base in the shipping container state; (ii) accessible via the lid when the shipping box is open; and (iii) collapsed in the compacted state.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/356,032, filed on Nov. 18, 2016 and entitled “ReusableZipper-Reconfigurable Shipping Box”, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As a sector, e-commerce has doubled in size in the past five years.Consumer demand for instant direct-to-door delivery for nearly everyitem consumed or utilized in the home continues to fuel this growth, andthere is no indication that this trend will reverse itself or stabilize.Although the increase has brought considerable benefits in terms ofconsumer convenience and satisfaction, the environmental impact of thistrend cannot be ignored. Direct-to-door delivery is simply not asefficient as bulk delivery to a lesser number of discrete retaillocations. Although individuals still need to transport themselves toand from their homes on the way to those retail locations, there islittle evidence to support the assertion that carbon emissions arethereby decreased when the countervailing effect of an increased numberof delivery trucks and routes are taken into account.

Regardless, it is inarguable that direct-to-door delivery is far worsefrom a sustainability perspective when the increased amount of packagingmaterial is taken into account. Even if plastics and fill materials areneglected, the amount of material consumed just on the outer packagingis striking. The United States consumed 35.4 million tons of containergrade cardboard material in 2014. Although a portion of this material isrecycled, no recycling process is perfectly efficient in terms of theamount of material recovered, and the process itself consumes resourcein the form of energy, chemicals, and capital equipment depreciation.

Reusable shipping containers are not generally considered viablealternatives to disposable shipping containers. The cost of moving thematerial back through the mail creates an obstacle for reuse, as doesthe fact that shipping an item wears away at the packaging material suchthat the packaging material must be durable if it is to be reused.Finally, the packaging material is generally bulky in that it is has arigid structure around a cavity to protect the item it contains, wherethe cavity is hollow and unused when the packaging material is returned.This fact exacerbates the problems associated with shipping the itemback to the original sender because shipping costs are stronglycorrelated with the volume of an object.

SUMMARY

A shipping box is disclosed that is reusable and zipper-reconfigurable.The box is zipper-reconfigurable in that at least one zipper on theshipping box can be zipped or unzipped to place the shipping box in ashipping container state or a compacted state. The compacted state couldbe one in which the zipper has been unzipped and the various portions ofthe box have been folded into a compact bundle. The fact that the zipperis unzipped allows for reconfiguration of the box between the shippingcontainer state and compacted states.

A compacted state is one in which either the volume or cross section ofthe shipping box has been reduced while neither the volume nor crosssection of the shipping box has been increased. When the box is in theshipping container state, an item can be placed in the box by a senderfor shipment using standard mail carriers to a recipient. Upon delivery,the recipient can remove the item from the box, and reconfigure the boxinto the compacted state. When the box is in the compacted state the boxitself can be shipped using standard mail carriers. In particular, therecipient can send the compacted box back to the sender or to anotherlocation in order for the box to be used again.

The shipping box is reusable in that it can be sent out and returnedmultiple times thereby eliminating a large degree of waste associatedwith single-time use shipping boxes. The box can be returned in itsshipping box state if the recipient needs to send the item, or anotheritem, back to the sender. However, as postal rates and costs areconstrained by the volume of items sent through the mail, the fact thatthe shipping box is reconfigurable to a compacted state provides thebenefits of making the return shipment of an empty box less costly andmore efficient. Although the example of a sender sending an item to auser and receiving a shipping box in a compacted state is usedthroughout this disclosure as an example, the shipping box could insteadbe sent out in a compacted state, filled by the recipient, and returnedto the sender in a shipping box state with an item inside. The shippingbox can be washed and refreshed after being received by the originalsender so that it can be ready for use in another cycle. The box canalso be repaired by replacing individual components of the box that havebeen worn out. In other words, the design of the box can be modularizedto facilitate repairs and extend the life and reusability of the box.

In some embodiments, a reusable shipping box with a shipping containerstate and a compacted state is disclosed. The box includes a lid thatseals the box, a base, and a set of four sidewalls. The box alsoincludes a zipper that zips down from the lid to the base between twoadjacent sidewalls in the set of four sidewalls. The zipper is closed inthe shipping container state and is open in the compacted state. The boxalso includes a cavity that is surrounded by the set of four sidewalls,the lid, and the base in the shipping container state. The cavity isaccessible via the lid when the shipping box is open and is collapsedwhen the shipping box is in the compacted state. An item can be placedin the cavity to transport the item. The volume occupied by the cavitycan be saved when the shipping box is shipped in the compacted state.

In other embodiments, a reusable shipping box is disclosed. The boxincludes a base, a set of sidewalls, and a lid. The box also includes acavity that is surrounded by the lid, the base, and the set of sidewallswhen the shipping box is in a shipping container state. The cavity iscollapsed when the shipping box is in a compacted state. The box alsoincludes a zipper. The zipper seals the lid to a subset of threesidewalls in the set of sidewalls when it is fully zipped. The zipperallows the shipping box to be folded into the compacted state when it isfully unzipped. The zipper prevents the shipping box from being foldedinto the compacted state when it is half-way zipped. The box alsoincludes a security feature connected to the zipper to detect a breachof the cavity. A point on a first sidewall from the set of sidewalls isin contact with a point on a second sidewall from the set of sidewallsin the compacted state. The point on the first sidewall from the set ofsidewalls is not in contact with the point on the second sidewall fromthe set of sidewalls in the shipping container state.

In other embodiments, a reusable shipping box with a shipping containerstate and a compacted state are disclosed. The box includes a set ofsides, a lid that seals the shipping box, a base, and a set ofsidewalls. The box also includes a zipper that zips diagonally acrossone of the sides, is closed in the shipping container state, and is openin the compacted state. The box also includes a cavity. The cavity issurrounded by the set of sidewalls, the lid, and the base in theshipping container state. The cavity is also accessible via the lid whenthe shipping box is open. The cavity is collapsed in the compactedstate. The box also includes a first shipping label area integrated withan exterior surface of the box when the box is in the shipping containerstate.

The reusable shipping box can exhibit numerous other features providedin the detailed description below. In particular, the box could includea second shipping label area that can be accessed along with the firstshipping label area together at fulfillment to allow a worker to placeboth labels on the box at the same time. The second and first shippinglabel areas could be designed in such a way that only one shipping labelarea is visible in the shipping container state while the other shippinglabel area is visible in the compacted state. The shipping containercould also be marked with a unique serial number to assist in tracking,maintaining, and retiring the reusable shipping box when necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a reusable zipper-reconfigurable shipping boxtransitioning from a shipping box state to a compacted state inaccordance with approaches disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a set of sides of a shipping box and the manner inwhich a zipper and a set of panels each with a rigid member and pliantsheathing layer provide structural rigidity in the shipping box stateand facilitate an efficient transition into the compacted state.

FIG. 3 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using a corner zipzipper configuration.

FIG. 4 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using a corner zipwith one zip zipper configuration.

FIG. 5 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using a diagonal zipzipper configuration.

FIG. 6 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using a two zipzipper configuration.

FIG. 7 illustrates a shipping box with a set of sides where each sideincludes at least two panels as it transitions between a shipping boxstate and a compacted state.

FIG. 8 illustrates a shipping box using a diagonal zip zipperconfiguration with multi-panel sidewalls.

FIG. 9 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using gussets tofacilitate a folding pattern.

FIG. 10 illustrates a security device for maintaining the state of theshipping box.

FIG. 11 illustrates a shipping box at different states as it transitionsbetween a shipping box state and a compacted state using an integratedstuff sack.

FIG. 12 illustrates a double sided shipping label area.

FIG. 13 illustrates a thermally insulative wall structure for a reusableshipping box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosedinvention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation ofthe present technology, not as a limitation of the present technology.In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatmodifications and variations can be made in the present technologywithout departing from the scope thereof. For instance, featuresillustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used withanother embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it isintended that the present subject matter covers all such modificationsand variations within the scope of the appended claims and theirequivalents.

A reusable shipping box configured to be shipped in a shipping box stateand a compacted state where at least one zipper is used to alter theconfiguration of the shipping box between the shipping box state and thecompacted state is disclosed. The fact that the shipping box can beeasily transitioned between the shipping box state and the compactedstate provides significant benefits when applied to the specificapplication of reusable shipping boxes because it minimizes theinconvenience of reconfiguring the box for efficient transmission of thebox in a compacted state through the mail. Indeed, in certainconfigurations discussed below, the consumer experience of unzipping thebox and reconfiguring it for its compacted state is easier thandisassembling and disposing of a traditional cardboard box. In certainconfigurations discussed below, the zipper and sides of the box areconfigured to provide maximum structural rigidity while still enablingrapid and efficient reconfiguration.

The box is reconfigurable between different states based on the state ofa zipper. The zipper can be fully zipped, unzipped, or partially zipped.The zipper can be zipped by moving a slider along two sets ofinterlocking teeth that form a zipper track. The teeth may be formed oncoils that are used to guide the zipper. The two sets of interlockingteeth can be formed on zipper tape extensions that are connected to thetwo materials being zipped together. Alternatively, the zipper teeth canbe formed directly on the material that forms the exterior of a panel ofthe box. The zipper could be formed of plastic or metal. In someapproaches, the zipper is fully zipped when it is placed in contact witha top stop located at one end of the zipper track. In some approaches,the zipper is fully unzipped when it is placed in contact with a bottomstop located at the other end of the zipper track. The zipper could alsobe a double pull zipper that can be unzipped or zipped in two directionsusing two sliders.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a reusable zipper-reconfigurableshipping box that executes the transition mentioned above. The box isillustrated in its shipping box state 100, two intermediate states (102,104), and a compacted state 106. The box includes a set of sides. Asillustrated, the sides include a lid that seals the shipping box, abase, and a set of sidewalls. In the case of a traditional cuboid, theset of sidewalls would include a set of four sidewalls.

The first transition 101 involves transitioning the zipper from fullyzipped to unzipped. As shown, the same zipper is used to seal lid 107and to reconfigure the box. In this particular example, the zipperreconfigures the box because it zips down one corner of the box 108 fromthe lid to the base and secures base 109 to the sidewalls of the box. Assuch, when the zipper is fully unzipped, the box can be laid flat andtakes on a “T” shape where the sidewalls form the vertical portion ofthe “T” and the lid and base form the horizontal branches. The secondtransition 103 involves the box being laid flat and then the fold linesof the sidewalls being bent in an accordion fold towards the topsidewall. The third transition 105 into compacted state 106 involves thelid and base being folded over a stack of the sidewalls. In thisparticular approach, the base is folded over the stack first followed bythe lid. One added benefit of this approach is that the same securityfeature 110 and shipping label area 111 can be utilized in both theshipping box state 100 and the compacted state 106.

The shipping box state 100 of FIG. 1 includes a cavity that issurrounded by the set of sidewalls, the lid 107, and the base 109 in ashipping container state. The cavity is accessible via the lid 107 whenthe shipping box is open. An item can be placed in the shipping box andthe lid can then be shut and sealed with security feature 110 such as alock attaching the zipper guide to an attachment on the surface of thebox near the top stop of the zipper. Security feature 110 can beconnected to the zipper in order to detect a breach of the cavity if itis tampered with. The box with the item inside can then be sent throughthe mail to an address identified by a shipping label in or on shippinglabel area 111. Upon receipt of the shipping box, a recipient can breakor unlock the security feature 110, take the item out of the box, andreconfigure the shipping box to compacted state 106. The cavity iscollapsed in compacted state 106 in order to minimize the volume of thebox on the return trip. Although the box is empty in the compacted stateit can also be secured in order to assure the box remains in thecompacted state throughout its return trip.

Numerous features described below can be used in combination with theapproach of FIG. 1 or as alternatives to specific features describedwith reference to FIG. 1. The approach described with reference to FIG.1 is provided as a detailed example to provide an introduction tocertain features described below. For example, although the same zipperis utilized in FIG. 1 to reconfigure the box and to open and close thebox in the shipping container state, these two aspects of the shippingbox could be conducted using separate fastening devices. The two aspectscould be controlled by separate zippers or by a combination of buttons,hook-and-loop fasteners, temporary adhesive, or any other fastener. Theremainder of the disclosure is divided into several parts.

Panel Material and Structural Rigidity

A shipping box can include a set of sides. The set of sides can includea lid, a base, and a set of sidewalls. In situations in which the box isa traditional cuboid shape, the set of sidewalls would include foursidewalls. In accordance with approaches disclosed herein, the shippingbox could include a set of panels where the lid, each sidewall in theset of sidewalls, and the base could each include at least two panelsfrom this set of panels. Returning to the example of a traditionalcuboid, the resulting shipping box would include a set of at least 12panels.

Each panel of the shipping box could be edged by a combination of foldlines and zipper tracks. Each panel could be rectangular. Every edge ofthe panel could be either a fold line or a zipper track. For example, ina cuboid shipping box with a lid defined by two panels and permanentlyaffixed to the back sidewall of the shipping box, the two panels thatdefined the lid could each have two zipper tracks on their top and sideedges and two fold lines on their bottom and alternative sides.Structural rigidity could be provided by a selection of the panelmaterial, zipper type, and the manner in which the zipper was affixed tothe panel material.

FIG. 2 illustrates a corner 200 of a reusable shipping box with twosidewalls 201 and 202. Only portions of the side walls are drawn, withphantom lines indicating where the sidewalls were excised for purposesof illustration. As drawn, sidewalls 201 and 202 could include more thantwo panels but only two (203, 204) are included in the figure. Thepanels are edged via zipper tracks 205, 206, 207, 208, and 209. Panel204 is also edged by a fold line 210. The fold line 210 could be sharedwith a lid of the shipping box that is bent back around the fold linesuch that it is not visible in the drawing. Zipper edge 205 could beconfigured to attach to a zipper edge on the lid of the box. Zipperedges 207 and 208 could be configured to attach to a base of the box.Each panel could also be edged by a fold line with an adjacent panel insidewall 201 and 202.

Structural rigidity could be provided to the box by panels such aspanels 203 and 204 in combination with the zipper that binds themtogether. The panels could be homogenous rigid members with zippertracks formed by zipper teeth attached directly to holes punched intothe homogenous panels. Alternatively, the zipper teeth could be fused orglued onto the panels. The zipper teeth could alternatively be connectedto a strip of zipper tape attached to the homogenous members. The panelscould alternatively comprise a rigid member surrounded by a pliantsheathing layer. The pliant sheathing layer is a flexible material thatencloses and serves to connect the rigid members. The pliant sheathinglayer could be a fabric or thin layer of plastic material. In any ofthese embodiments, the material for the rigid member could be, forexample, a plastic, cardboard or a composite material. The material mayhave a corrugated configuration, or may be a solid sheet of sufficientthickness to provide the needed structural rigidity. The plastic for therigid member could be, for example, a thermoplastic polymer such asacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The panels 203 and 204 areillustrated as rectangles in FIG. 2; however, in general the panels mayhave other shapes as needed for various shipping container shapes andfolding configurations.

Structural rigidity would be provided by forcing the load bearing rigidmembers into alignment using the zippers. The panels could be sized suchthat all of the zippers and fold lines were pulled taut when the zipperwas fully zipped. Structural rigidity would thereby be provided due tothe tension exerted on opposite edges of each panel. In certainapproaches, the zippers could also be configured to force the lid andbase to rest on the edges of the sidewall to allow the rigid portions ofthe sidewall, instead of the load bearing capability of the zipper trackitself, to support the box from being crushed from above or below ifstacked in the shipping box state with other boxes.

The zipper could pull the panels together as it was zipped. Tofacilitate the transition, the zipper could be a single zipper runningin-between a top and bottom stop, or a double separating zipper runningbetween two end stops. Structural rigidity could also be provided by amix of fastener types used in combination with the zipper or in thealternative. For example, a subset of panels could be brought intoalignment using zippers while another subset utilized straps andbuttons, buttons on alternative panels, hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g.,Velcro), or any other kind of fastener. As another example, the mainzipper track could be augmented by snaps, hook and loop straps, or otherfasteners capable of being wrapped over the main zipper track. Inaddition certain fasteners could be connected between panels totemporarily hold a subset of panels in a particular configuration inorder to facilitate a rapid movement of the zipper along the zippertrack. For example, a Velcro strap could be used to place the firstsidewall with the end stop of the zipper track on its edge with the baseso that the first edge could be aligned before a person used their handsto begin zipping the box.

Zipper Configuration

The manner in which the shipping box transitions between the shippingbox state and the compacted state is influenced by the position of thezipper relative to the sides and panels of the shipping box. As statedpreviously, when the zipper is fully unzipped it can allow the shippingbox to be folded into the compacted state, and when it is not fullyunzipped it can prevent the shipping box from being folded into thecompacted state. Generally, the configuration of the zipper and foldingpattern are selected to assure that both the maximum cross section sizeand the volume of the compacted state are less than in the shipping boxstate. This can be achieved by having certain sides of the shipping boxcomprise multiple panels that can be folded over themselves.

The zipper can run along various edges of the sides or panels of theshipping box including along tracks that are in line with the edges ofthe sides or in diagonal lines across the sides. In shipping boxes inwhich at least two sidewalls share a set of zipper teeth that form azipper track in combination, the zipper can run down from the lid to thebase between two sidewalls of the set of sidewalls that comprise theshipping box in order to allow for the transition between a compactedand shipping box state. Alternatively or in combination, a shipping boxcan have a side that is bisected by a zipper track such that the zipperzips diagonally across one of the sides. In combination, the same zippertrack can run from the lid to the base between two sidewalls and thenimmediately run diagonally across the base. Alternatively the sidewallswill not include zipper tracks on their side edges, and the base willhave a separate zipper running diagonally from one corner to the otherthat allows the shipping box to transition between a compacted andshipping box state.

A corner zip configuration for the zipper can be described withreference to FIG. 3 in which a shipping box is shown in three states300, 301, and 302. State 300 shows the shipping box in a shippingcontainer state with the lid removed from the figure to illustrate theoperation of the corner zip configuration in isolation. In specificapproaches, the lid will be a separate piece and can be disposed of orfolded into the compacted state. In other approaches, the lid will bepermanently secured to one of the sidewalls. Such a lid can bereleasably attached to the other three sidewalls using a zipper, straps,buttons, or any other fastening device that can be conveniently releasedand refixed. The lid can be secured to the other three sidewalls usingthe same zipper that allows for reconfiguration of the state of theshipping box as described below in FIG. 4. However, in certainapproaches zipper 303 will not be used to secure the lid and will onlybe accessible from inside the box to prevent someone from having accessto the zipper guide from the outside of the box. Such a configurationincreases the options available for tamper sealing the lid as will bedescribed in a later section.

Zipper 303 is fully zipped in state 300. Transition 304 involves thezipper being fully unzipped. This process includes moving the zipperguide down from the lid to the base between two adjacent sidewalls inthe set of four sidewalls. This path is marked by reference numeral 305in FIG. 3. This process also includes moving the zipper guide all theway around three out of four edges of the base along zipper path 306 inFIG. 3. In other approaches, such as those in which the base isdetachable, this transition could involve moving the zipper guide allthe way around all four edges of the base and freeing the basecompletely. As in approaches in which the lid is detachable, thedetachable base could be disposable or separately foldable into thecompacted state of the shipping box.

State 301 is an intermediate state in which the zipper has been fullyunzipped. As illustrated, the sidewalls no longer form an enclosingcontinuous connected chain and have been separated at corner 307. Inaddition, the base 308 is now only connected to sidewall 309. As such,the shipping box can be laid down flat as in transition 310 leading tostate 302 in which the shipping box can be folded into the compactedstate.

A one zip corner zip configuration for the zipper can be described withreference to FIG. 4 in which a shipping box is shown in three states400, 401, and 402. The shipping box in FIG. 4 differs from the shippingbox from FIG. 3 in that a single zipper both secures the lid to thesidewalls of the shipping box in the shipping container state, andallows the shipping box to alter its configuration between the shippingcontainer state and the compacted state. Lid 403 is permanently securedto the back sidewall 404 and is separated from back sidewall 404 by afold line 405. The lid 403 is permanently secured via stitching,welding, or some other fastening method that is not meant to berepeatedly reversed. The lid could also be attached to all four of thesidewalls using the same zipper and could be disposable or could beincluded in the compacted state as a separate but secured piece.

Zipper 406 is fully zipped in state 400. As such, lid 403 seals the lidto a subset of three sidewalls in the set of sidewalls when it is fullyzipped. When zipper 406 is not fully unzipped it prevents the shippingbox from transitioning into the compacted state. Zipper 406 allows theshipping box to be folded into the compacted state when it is fullyunzipped. For example, zipper 406 prevents the shipping box from beingfolded into the compacted state when it is half way zipped, and providessignificant structural rigidity to the box even when the lid has beenunsecured by moving the zipper along zipper path 407.

Transition 408 involves the zipper being fully unzipped. This processincludes moving the zipper guide around three sides of the lid and thendown from the lid to the base between two adjacent sidewalls in the setof four sidewalls. This path is marked by reference numerals 407 and 409in FIG. 4. This process also includes moving the zipper guide all theway around three out of four edges of the base along zipper path 410 inFIG. 4. In other approaches, such as those in which the base isdetachable, this transition could involve moving the zipper guide allthe way around all four edges of the base and freeing the basecompletely. As in approaches in which the lid is detachable, thedetachable base could be disposable or separately foldable into thecompacted state of the shipping box.

State 401 is an intermediate state in which the zipper has been fullyunzipped. As illustrated, the sidewalls no longer form an enclosingcontinuous connected chain and have been separated at corner 411. Inaddition, the base 412 is now only connected to sidewall 404. As such,the shipping box can be laid down flat as in transition 413 leading tostate 402 in which the shipping box can be folded into the compactedstate. In contrast to the shipping box of FIG. 4, zipper 406 extendsaround the entire periphery of the shipping box when it is in state 402.As drawn, the entire shipping box is a single unitary piece when thezipper is open and when the zipper is closed. This is not an artifact ofthe one zip design as even in situations in which the lid of theshipping box in FIG. 3 was secured by snaps or alternatives fasteners,the shipping box could still be a single unitary piece in either state.However, the one zip design has a further advantage in that the entireunitary piece of the design can be secured by a single zipper for addedconvenience.

A diagonal zip configuration for the zipper can be described withreference to FIG. 5 in which a shipping box is shown in two states 500and 501. FIG. 5 illustrates the shipping box in a plan view with the lidremoved so that the view is directly down at the base of the box. Asseen, a zipper track 502 runs from one corner of the base to an oppositecorner in a diagonal direction. However, it should be noted that thediagonal track could allow the zipper to zip diagonally across any ofthe sides of the box FIG. 5 to produce a similar effect so long as theopposing side of the box was not being held rigid by fold lines, closedzippers, or a combination thereof. For example, two opposing sidewallsof the box could include diagonal zipper tracks that, when unzipped,allow the box to collapse into a compacted state.

State 500 shows the shipping box with the zipper closed so that theshipping container state is maintained. As shown, the base of the boxincludes a zipper track that zips diagonally across the base. The zipperis closed in the shipping container state. The base also includes afirst fold line 503 and a second fold line 504. The first and secondfold lines 503 and 504 are normal to the diagonal path of zipper track502. The first fold line extends from the diagonal path to a firstcorner of the base. The second fold line extends from the diagonal pathto a second corner of the base. Transition 505 involves the zipper beingopened by moving the zipper guide along zipper track 502. State 501shows the result of zipper track 502 being split and the resulting twohalves of the base being lifted up through the center of the box withthe base folding along fold line 503 and 504 in the process. Asillustrated, the material in the sides of the box could be selected sothat fold lines 503 and 504 were one-way fold lines that would notbuckle under the weight of an item placed in the box.

The approach in FIG. 5 can be combined with different aspects of theconfigurations described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The diagonalzip approach can be used in combination with the corner zip approach. Inthat combination, the zipper could zip down from the lid to the basebetween two adjacent sidewalls and then zip across a diagonal paththrough the base. The diagonal zip approach could also be used incombination with the one zip approach. In that combination, the zippercould zip around the periphery of the lid, down from the lid to the basebetween two adjacent sidewalls and then zip across a diagonal paththrough the base. The diagonal zip approach can be beneficially appliedwhen the diagonal zipper track 502 is shorter than or equal to theheight of the shipping box. In that situation, pulling the base uptowards the top of the box as in transition 505 would not result inexcess material rising above the plane defined by the top edge of thesidewalls.

A two zip configuration for the zipper can be described with referenceto FIG. 6 in which a shipping box is shown in two states 600 and 601.The two zip configuration includes a first zipper 602 and a secondzipper 603. First zipper 601 secures lid 607 to the top edge of threeout of four of the sidewalls of the box when it is fully zipped. Secondzipper 603 secures base 608 to the bottom edge of three out of four ofthe sidewalls of the box when it is fully zipped. The fourth sidewall isattached to the base and the lid with a permanent attachment along thetop and bottom edge. The lid and base could alternatively be attached todifferent sidewalls. Both the lid and the base can also be attached tofour out of four sidewalls via a zipper. The lid and base can bedisposable in these configurations or could be stored with the shippingbox in a compacted state as separate pieces. Transition 605 involveszippers 602 and 603 being unzipped along zipper tracks 604 and 605 wherezipper track 605 includes another turn around the edge of the shippingbox that is not visible in the illustration. Once the zippers have beenfully unzipped the shipping box can be laid flat and folded into acompacted state.

Folding Patterns

The folding pattern used to transition the box to the compacted stateonce the zipper is unzipped will depend on the specific zipperconfiguration utilized, relative dimensions of the box, and the presenceor absence of detachable sides. In the case of a cuboid, the dimensionswill be the depth, height, and width of the box. As mentioned abovespecific sets of dimensions can be selected so that the sides of the boxfold evenly. However, as described below, multi-panel configurations canbe utilized where certain panels are used as gussets during the foldingprocess to achieve uniform folding where single panel sides would leadto irregular or difficult folding shapes. Multi-panel configurationsalso generally provide the ability to reduce the maximum cross sectionof the box between the shipping box state and compacted state. Thefolding patterns generally follow the principle of collapsing the cavityused to store an item in the shipping box state and having a point on afirst side of the box in contact with a point on a second side of thebox in the compacted state, such points not being on the edges of thesides and not being in contact when the box is in the shipping boxstate.

FIG. 7 illustrates a shipping box in four states 700, 701, 702, and 703transitioning between a shipping box state and a compacted state. Asillustrated, the shipping box includes a set of panels, where each ofthe sides of the shipping box includes two panels. As illustrated, thelid, each sidewall, and the base each include at least two panels fromthat set of panels. For example, the lid includes a first panel 704 anda second panel 705. In the illustrated example, the shipping box uses aone zip corner zip zipper configuration and does not include anydetachable sides. As a result, the entire box is a single unitary pieceand all of the panels are separated from at least one other panel via afold line. As seen in state 702 when the box is laid flat, each edge ofeach panel is either a zipper edge or a fold line. In addition, and asseen in state 703, the fold lines of the side walls are all parallel toeach other. The panels can each comprise rigid members surrounded bypliant sheathing layers and can generally take on the characteristics ofpanels 203 and 204 described above in FIG. 2. Specifically, the zipperedge could include a zipper tape extension connected to the pliantsheathing layer and have one set of zipper teeth or could have zipperteeth directly attached to the material forming the rigid member.

Folding patterns that are conducted on boxes where each side comprisesat least two panels provide the benefit of decreasing the maximum crosssection of the shipping box between the shipping box state and thecompacted state. This benefit is also realized by approaches in whichthe largest sides of the shipping box comprise at least two panels.These approaches can be referred to as multi-panel folding patterns.Approaches in which every side of the box is multi-panel can be referredto as a fully multi-panel approach.

Multi-panel approaches reduce the cost of sending a shipping box in thecompacted state through the mail as the maximum cross section of an itemis strongly correlated with the cost of shipment. The use of multiplepanels therefore allows for a large transformation between maximumvolume of the shipping box cavity in the shipping box state and minimumvolume and cross sectional area in the compacted state. In the case of acuboid shipping box, shipping boxes with a compacted state having anumber of panels in a folded stack greater than 6 tend to exhibit thisbenefit.

Although FIG. 7 illustrates a multi-panel folding pattern using a onezip corner zip configuration, multi-panel approaches can be combinedwith any zipper configuration including the diagonal zip, two zip, andcorner zip approaches. In particular, diagonal zip zipper configurationsin which the largest side is bisected by a diagonal zipper track areinherently multi-panel approaches. Furthermore, a diagonal zip approachwith a cuboid box combined with a fully multi-panel approach producescertain additional appreciable benefits. In these approaches, the lidand each of the four sidewalls each include at least two panels from aset of panels. The base can include eight panels from the set of panels.Each panel in the set of panels is separated from at least one otherpanel in the set of panels by a fold line. When the diagonal zippertrack has been released and the base is pulled up towards the lid of thebox, the resulting two halves of the base can be folded upon themselvesthree times along with the corner of the box, and the two fold lines oneach side of the box to which they are permanently attached. Thisapproach can be combined with one in which, as illustrated in FIG. 8,half the diagonal of the base is equal to the height of the box and thebase 800 is bisected by the zipper track 801 and the set of fold lines802.

The folding pattern of the box can be assisted by gussets. The gussetscan be panels in a set of panels defining a side of the shipping box.FIG. 9 illustrates a shipping box in a laid flat state 900 and acompacted state 901. Compacted state 901 is illustrated by a plan view902 and a side view 903. State 900 shows one of the panels of the lid904 connected to a sidewall via a gusset 905 and one of the panels ofthe base 906 connected to the same sidewall via a second gusset 907. Inthe transition to 901, all of the sidewalls are folded over each other,and the base and lid are folded over themselves once by folding alongall of the inter-panel fold lines that are illustrated in the figure inan accordion fashion. The resulting stack 908, shown in side view 903,is as high as twice the thickness of the sidewalls. The lid and basecould then be folded back over the fold lines that separate them fromtheir common sidewall in the opposite direction from the accordionstack. However, with the addition of gussets 905 and 907, the base andlid can be folded up and over the stack and can be used to secure theaccordion fold in place in the compacted state as shown in side view903. The resulting compacted state only needs to have a fasteningfeature to keep panel 904 in place in order to keep all of the panelssecure in the compacted state. The resulting compacted state also has aminimal maximum cross section which is roughly equivalent to the crosssection of an individual panel 904.

The folding pattern of the shipping box will beneficially be intuitiveto the person that needs to transfer the shipping box into the compactedstate. As the shipping box will often be sent to a customer that may nothave had previous experience with the shipping box, an intuitivetransition increases the likelihood that the customer will be willing tocontribute to the reusability process instead of discarding the shippingbox or opting for disposable shipping materials in the future. Inaddition to the use of intuitive folding patterns, the customer can alsobe aided by being presented with icons on various sides of the shippingbox that should be matched together. Using the one zip corner zipmulti-panel configuration of FIG. 7 as an example, a pineapple icon 706could be placed on specific sides of specific panels to instruct a userto place those panels into contact during the folding process. The iconscould also be numbers to help describe the chronological order in whichthe folds should occur. The icons could be placed on the interior sidesof the box so as to not be visible in the shipping container state.Alternatively, the icons could be used as part of a branding campaign tomake the boxes more distinct or promote the trademarks of the companyutilizing the shipping box.

One benefit of the approaches disclosed above is that there is generallyless of a need for baffles or any form of edge augmentation to assistthe transition between the shipping container state and the compactedstate. As shown in FIG. 7, each edge of each panel is either a zipperedge or a fold line directly connected to another panel. In particular,since the shipping box will spend the great majority of its time in theshipping container or compacted states, and is only temporarily in anyintermediate transition step, there is no need to augment the edges withstrengthening materials to prevent the box from being torn at anyconcave edges that are temporarily exposed during the transition betweenthe compacted and shipping container state. Generally, to increase thedurability of the shipping box for transmission through the mail, boththe shipping container and compacted states will not present any concaveedges to the exterior of the shipping container. Certain edges of thebox can be augmented by Velcro attachments or other fastening devicesspanning from one side to the other to increase the structural integrityof the box but they generally are not necessary if the zipper issufficiently strong. In addition, Velcro attachments or other fasteningdevices such as magnetic tethers can span edges for purposes oftemporarily aligning the zipper track to assist the actual process ofmoving the zipper guide from the fully unzipped to zipped position.

In situations in which the shipping box has detachable sides orindividual panels such as a detachable lid, base, or part thereof, thefolding pattern can include a method for storing the detachable side ina secure fashion for transmission through the mail. For example, thedetachable sides or individual panels could be placed in the center ofthe shipping box when it is laid flat and be surrounded by the remainingpanels as they are folded in and over the individual panels before beingsecured. Alternatively or in combination the detachable panels can besecured to the remainder of the shipping box using Velcro or some otherform of fashioning material.

State Retention in Shipping Box and Compacted States

The shipping box can be secured in both the compacted state and theshipping box state. In the shipping box state the box is secured in thesense that the contents of the box cannot be accessed without providingsome evidence of a breach of the shipping box. To this end, a securityfeature can be connected to the zipper to detect a breach of the cavity.The shipping box is secured in the compacted state in the sense that theshipping box retains its shape to make the box easier to move throughthe mail and less likely to be damaged as it is transported through themail. In certain approaches, the same mechanism is used to secure thebox in both states. However, in certain approaches, differentspecialized mechanisms are used to secure the box in the shipping boxstate and the compacted state.

The security feature can connect a zipper slider of the zipper thatreconfigures the shipping box to a fixed point on the reusable shippingbox proximate a bottom stop of the zipper. The security feature caninclude both an element for resistance to forced entry to the cavity ofthe shipping box and a tamper indicator. The tamper indicator can alsobe referred to as a breach of package indicator. The security featurecould include one or more of a combination barrel lock, a mechanical keylock, a zip tie, tamper evident tapes and seals, or paper tabs or anelectromechanical NFC-responsive lock. The security feature could extendthrough the zipper slider and a grommet or D-ring located on a fixedpoint on the reusable shipping box.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a locking device 1000 that could serveas a part of the security feature for the shipping boxes describedabove. Locking device 1000 has a zipper track 1010, a zipper head 1020and zipper pull 1030. Zipper pull 1030 has a slot 1035 through which thehead 1055 of rivet 1050 is placed in order to be locked. Rivet 1050 canserve as the bottom stop of zipper track 1010. Rivet 1050 is, forexample, a fabric rivet that is mounted to the shipping containermaterial 1040 at the end of the closed zipper 1010. The rivet could alsobe attached to a zipper tape extension of zipper 1010. The customizedhead 1055 has an aperture 1057 through which a securing device may beplaced to prevent an intruder from unzipping the zipper 1010. Thesecuring device (not shown) may be, for example, a zip tie, a mechanicalcombination of key lock, or an NFC responsive electromechanical lockthat is inserted through aperture 1057 and over zipper pull 1030. Ifusing a combination lock, the sender may communicate the combination forthe lock to the recipient via, for example, an email or text message.

The shipping box can also be secured in the compacted state. Theshipping box can be secured using one or more fastening devices. Thefastening device or devices could each be integrated with the shippingbox and could specifically be integrated with two separate portions ofthe shipping box to keep those points in contact or close proximity andthereby maintain the shipping box in the compacted state. The shippingbox can be secured by implementing a specific folding pattern thatallowed a portion of the box to wrap around the rest. For example, inthe approach outlined with respect to FIG. 9, panel 904 would need to besecured to gusset 907 on the left side of side view 903 using some formof fastening device, and as a result, a single fastening device couldpreserve the shipping box in its compacted state. However, the shippingbox could be secured in the compacted state regardless of the foldingpattern using any number of fastening devices. The fastening devicecould be one or more of Velcro, buttons, straps, magnets, clips, pins,or any other fastening device. The fastening devices could be integratedwith and permanently connected to the shipping box so that they couldnot be misplaced.

The shipping box could also be secured in the compacted state using astuff sack. The stuff stack could be integrated with or fixed to theshipping box. For example, the stuff sack could be stitched or fused tothe base of the shipping box on the interior surface of the shippingbox. The stuff sack could be located in the cavity of the shipping boxwhen the shipping box was in the shipping container state. The stuffsack could store the reusable shipping box in the compacted state andcould be inverted in a transition between the compacted state. The stuffsack could be secured using Velcro or buttons when the box was in theshipping box state. It could also be pushed into a recessed portion ofthe panel or panels comprising the base of the shipping box so that thebase still presented a uniform surface to the cavity of the shippingbox. The stuff sack could be unsecured during the transition of theshipping box from the shipping box to compacted states. After beingunsecured, the stuff sack could be turned inside out during the processof securing the remained of the shipping box. This action could includestuffing the folded stack of material comprising the folded shipping boxinto the stuff sack. The stuff sack could be sealed using any kind offastening device once the shipping container was placed inside. Forexample, the stuff sack could include another zipper to keep it sealedor any of the security features described above.

FIG. 11 illustrates the action of an integrated stuff sack beinginverted in a transition from the shipping box state to the compactedstate. The shipping box is shown in three states 1100, 1101, and 1102.The shipping box state is state 1100 and the compacted state is state1102. State 1101 is an intermediate state in which the remainder of theshipping box has been folded, but has not yet been placed in theintegrated stuff sack.

In state 1100, the integrated stuff sack 1103 is in the cavity formed bythe remainder of shipping box 1104. In this state integrated stuff sack1103 is fixed to the base of the shipping box on one end and includes azipper 1105 on the other sides of the stuff sack. In other words, zipper1105 extends around three sides of the integrated stuff sack, and thefourth side is fixed to the box. In state 1101, the shipping box isfolded up in a stack ready to be placed inside the stuff sack. Thetransition from state 1101 to state 1102 would involve unzipping thezipper and inverting the stuff sack back over the stack of material theis the now-reconfigured remainder of shipping box 1104.

In state 1102, the stuff sack has been inverted and zipper 1105 iszipped on the opposite side of the stack of material that comprises theremainder of shipping box 1104. To facilitate resealing zipper 1105, thezipper guide for zipper 1105 could be double sided. Once the zipper isresealed, the shipping container is secured in its compacted state. Thezipper can be locked using a security feature to assure that it is notopened and remains securely closed for its trip through the mail. Thisapproach is beneficial in that the shipping box has wholly differentexterior surfaces in the compacted and shipping container state so thatwear is distributed more evenly between the two states.

The security feature that secures the box in the shipping container andcompacted state could utilize some of the same hardware in both states.For example, and with reference back to FIG. 11, the integrated stuffsack could be fixed to a specific point on the shipping container inclose proximity to a bottom stop of the zipper that seals the shippingbox close in the shipping container state. In this approach, the samecatch on the shipping box could connect a breach detector in thecompacted state and the shipping box state. For example, a zip tie couldconnect zipper 1105 to the catch in state 1102 and the zipper that keptthe box sealed in state 1100 could be connected to the catch with a ziptie in state 1100. As another example, and with reference back to FIG.7, the zipper guide of the zipper used to reconfigure the shipping boxcould be connected to a catch on a side of the shipping container usinga breach detector in state 700. Then, based on the folding pattern forthe shipping container, the same zipper guide could end up in closeproximity to the same catch using the same breach detector or adifferent breach detector to maintain the shipping container in thecompacted state. The breach detector could be any of the securityfeatures mentioned above. For example, a combination lock could keep theshipping box sealed in the shipping container state, be unlocked whilethe contents of the box were removed and the box was transitioned to thecompacted state, and then reconnected to the zipper guide and keep thebox secured in the compacted state.

Shipping Labels

As the shipping box is meant to be sent through the mail in both theshipping box and compacted state, shipping labels may need to be affixedto the shipping box in both states. To this end, both states of theshipping box could exhibit one or more shipping label areas. Theshipping labels required for both legs of the journey could be providedand affixed to the one or more shipping label areas by the originalsender of the shipping box so that the recipient would not need to bebothered by having to print out and attach a shipping label beforesending the shipping box back through the mail. Increasing theconvenience of the return trip in this manner will increase adoption ofthe reusable box by consumers.

The shipping label areas will be amenable to the easy addition ofshipping labels to the box. The shipping label areas could also beamenable to the controlled removal of the shipping labels to facilitatereuse of the shipping box. Although an adhesive shipping label couldgenerally be affixed to any exterior surface of the shipping box ineither the compacted or shipping box state, certain benefits accrue toapproaches that utilize specialized shipping label areas in terms ofboth consumer convenience and reusability. The shipping label areascould be as simple as a separate swatch of material grafted onto thesurface of the shipping box or attached thereto. The material could bedesigned to allow for solid adherence to the adhesive back of standardshipping labels and the easy removal thereof. For example, a thin layerof plastic would not be desirable as the target for the adhesive becauserepeated removal of shipping label stickers could tear the plastic andwould not represent a durable solution. The shipping label area couldalso be a more complex structure such as a built-in sleeve with atransparent cover. The shipping label area could also be a pocket with atransparent cover and a flap to seal the shipping label in. The flapcould be secured using any fastening device such as a button, Velcro, ora zipper.

The shipping box could include a first shipping label area integratedwith an exterior surface of the reusable shipping box when the reusableshipping box is in the shipping container state, and a second shippinglabel area integrated with a second exterior surface of the reusableshipping box when the reusable shipping box is in the compacted state.In other approaches, the same shipping label area could be used in bothconfigurations. The shipping label area may be double sided in thesesituations such that it could hold a shipping label on either side. Thisapproach would be particularly amenable to situations in which thesurface to which the shipping label area was affixed was invertedbetween the shipping box and compacted configurations. FIG. 11 providesan example of a shipping box using two separate shipping label areas. Asillustrated, shipping label 1106 is attached or inserted into a shippinglabel area integrated with the exterior of the shipping box in theshipping container state, while shipping label 1107 is attached to orinserted into a shipping label area integrated with an exterior of theintegrated stuff sack 1103.

FIG. 12 illustrates a shipping label area in two states 1200 and 1202.The shipping label area undergoes transition 1201 to switch between thetwo states. Transition 1201 involves detaching a flap and rotating itacross its hinge to seal Velcro segment 1204 to Velcro segment 1205.These Velcro segments could be replaced by the paired ends of anyfastening device such as magnets, snaps, laces, straps, sealing strips,adhesives, buttons, plastic or metal hooks, and the like. The shippinglabel area can undergo a reverse transition by detaching the flap androtating it back to seal segment 1207 against segment 1206. The shippinglabel area could be stitched or fused to the exterior surface of theshipping box. The shipping label areas could be stitched or fused to theexterior surface of the shipping box at an edge of the shipping box suchthat it was flat with a first side of the shipping box in one state andthen flat with a second different side of the shipping box in a secondstate.

The flap of the shipping label area could comprise a material that wasparticularly amenable to forming a strong connection to adhesiveshipping labels. The flap could include a pocket or sleeve with atransparent cover to receive shipping labels. The flap could include asingle pocket in which two shipping labels were placed back to back, ortwo separate pockets with a solid divider between them. The pocket couldbe sealed using and of the fastening devices mentioned above that areused to secure the shipping label area in one of its two states. In anyof these cases, address label 1202 could be displayed in state 1200while address label 1203 was displayed in state 1202.

The labels displayed by the shipping label area in its two states couldbe similar prepaid shipping labels attached by the user that first sentthe box out through the mail, but with the return and recipientaddresses switched between label 1202 and 1203. In this situation, therecipient could return the box by simply switching the state of theshipping label area. This approach would work in situations in which thebox was being sent out and returned in the same state. In other words,it would be effective regardless of whether or not the state of theshipping box was changed by the recipient before sending it back intothe mail. Furthermore, the approaches described with reference to FIG.12 can be applied to reusable shipping containers generally such asreusable envelopes and mailer bags, and are not limited to use withreusable shipping boxes. The design could also be augmented to includemultiple flaps to allow the same shipping container to pass through achain of recipients where each user was enabled to continue sending thebox through the chain by turning another one of the flaps like theturning of pages in a book.

Thermal Insulation

The walls of the shipping box can be augmented to make the shipping boxthermally insulated. Such approaches could be useful for the shipment ofitems such as specific pharmaceuticals, food stuffs, flowers, or anyother perishable goods. Generally, a thermally insulating container willbe bulkier than one that is not with all else held equal. As a result,the amount of material consumed in each shipment is greater for theshipment of items in thermally insulating boxes. Therefore, the reusablesolutions disclosed herein are particularly valuable in thisapplication. The approaches disclosed herein allow for a high level ofthermal insulation while maintaining a high degree of reusability and aminimized volume when the shipping box is in the compacted state.

One approach for minimizing the size of the compacted state of areusable thermally insulating shipping box is through the inclusion ofair pockets in the walls of the shipping box that can be inflated in theshipping box state and deflated in the compacted state. The air pocketcan be made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or PEVA plastic. The pocketscan be discarded and can be made of recyclable material to minimizewaste. In another approaches, the pockets can be deflated and reused byincluding them in the compacted state for a return trip through themail. To facilitate this, the air pockets can be inter-connected so thata central fill/deflate valve can be used to fill multiple air pockets atone time. This valve can allow for easy fill and easy deflating and beable to receive an air hose fitting. In certain approaches the airpockets will be PEVA with a thickness in excess of 0.2 mm such that theyare capable of being certified to withstand over 200 uses.

The air pockets will provide both thermal insulation to the chamber ofthe shipping box, and can also provide content protection. Additionaldisclosures regarding possibilities for the air pockets that can be usedin combination with the disclosure herein can be found in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/918,218 (U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2016/0039574),the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entiretyherein for all purposes.

Additional materials, either alone or in combination, can be added tothe walls of the shipping box in a similar fashion to the air pocketsdescribed above. For example, the walls could include a reflectivelayer, a foam layer, a layer of thick plastic, or any other material toenhance the thermal insulation of the walls. The reflective layer couldbe Mylar or another form of thermally reflective material. The foamcould be an open celled foam. The open celled foam could bepolyethylene. The foam could be encased hermetically in order to protectthe foam from gathering bacteria in its channels. This could be doneusing a plastic lining. In approaches in which both a foam and areflective material were added to the walls, the foam could behermetically sealed using the reflective material. The thick plasticcould be corrugated plastic. The corrugated plastic could be the rigidmember mentioned above in prior sections and could be used forstructural reasons. The plastic could be polypropylene or recycled PET.

The various thermally insulating materials that are added to the wallsof the shipping box can be removed from the walls and can be discardedafter each use of the shipping box, or they can be repackaged with therest of the shipping box in the compact state in a differentconfiguration and sent back through the mail for reuse. The removal ofthe thermally insulating material from the walls may facilitate thereconfiguration of the shipping box from the shipping box state to thecompacted state. In particular, some of the thermally insulatingfeatures could span certain fold lines of the box in the shipping boxstate such that they would interfere with the folding of the shippingbox into the compacted state. In these cases, removal of the thermallyinsulating material could be essential to the folding of the shippingbox into a compact state.

The thermally insulating materials could be alternatively secured andremoved via a detachable and re-attachable seam on the walls of theshipping box. The seam could be secured via Velcro, a plastic zipper, orany of the zippers described above that are used to transition theshipping box between the compacted and shipping box state. For example,the seam could be sealed at the same time adjacent sidewalls of theshipping box were pulled together where the two sides of the seam wereon those two adjacent sidewalls. The zipper used to secure theinsulating materials, and the zipper used to allow for reconfigurationof the shipping box, could be zinc-alloy zippers or plastic zippers. Thezippers could also be waterproofed with an overlay to restrict airflowand add to the thermal insulation of the shipping box. The overlay couldbe TPU or some other plastic.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of a sidewall 1300 of a thermally insulatingreusable shipping box. Sidewall 1300 uses a particular combination ofthe numerous disclosures provided above. Sidewall 1300 includes acollection of thermally insulating materials located between two sheetsof a pliant sheathing layer. As illustrated, the pliant sheathing layer1301 is fabric but it could be a thin layer of plastic as mentionedabove. The thermally insulating materials include a layer of open celledpolyethylene foam 1302, a thermally reflective layer of Mylar 1303, anair pocket 1304, and a layer of corrugated plastic 1305. The corrugatedplastic could serve as the rigid member for the shipping box sidewallsdescribed previously in this disclosure. In this example, all of thethermally insulating material is secured by Velcro strips 1306. Theapproach in FIG. 13 could be modified slightly such that the thermallyinsulating material was secured using a zipper. The approach could alsobe modified to include additional thermally insulating layers such as alayer of plastic film underneath fabric layer 1301 just before the layerof corrugated plastic 1305.

Although the reusable shipping boxes have been illustrated generally ascuboids, other shapes are possible. For example, the shipping box may beconfigured in a variety of shapes such as cylindrical, hexagonal andtriangular. The walls can be customized for shape, size, color, andgraphics. To improve durability, the shipping boxes may be fabricatedusing double-stitched seams, and materials for the shipping boxes may bewater-resistant, such as with coatings. In some embodiments, theshipping containers may have anti-microbial treatment to maintaincleanliness of the bag over repeated usages, with air-exchange vents tohelp with air flow to kill bacteria.

While the specification has been described in detail with respect tospecific embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that thoseskilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing,may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalentsto these embodiments. Any of the fasteners mentioned in this disclosurecould be replaced by hook-and-loop materials, magnets, snaps, laces,straps, sealing strips, adhesives, buttons, plastic or metal hooks, andthe like. These and other modifications and variations to the presentinvention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art,without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore,those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoingdescription is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit theinvention. Thus, it is intended that the present subject matter coverssuch modifications and variations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reusable shipping box with a shipping containerstate and a compacted state, comprising: a lid that seals the shippingbox, a shipping label area integrated with an exterior surface of thereusable shipping box; a base; a set of four sidewalls; a zipper thatis: (i) closed in the shipping container state; (ii) open in thecompacted state; and (iii) allows the shipping box to be folded into thecompacted state when open; a security feature connected to the zipper todetect a breach of the cavity if it is tampered with; and a cavity thatis: (i) surrounded by the set of four sidewalls, the lid, and the basein the shipping container state; (ii) accessible via the lid when theshipping box is open; and (iii) collapsed in the compacted state.
 2. Thereusable shipping box of claim 1, further comprising: a removabledividing wall located in the cavity to partition items in the reusableshipping box; wherein the zipper is a double pull zipper.
 3. Thereusable shipping box of claim 1, wherein: the zipper is a double pullzipper; and the security feature is a zip tie.
 4. The reusable shippingbox of claim 1, wherein: the shipping label area is a pocket with atransparent cover.
 5. The reusable shipping box of claim 1, wherein: thezipper seals the lid to first, second and third sidewalls in the set offour sidewalls when the shipping box is sealed; and the lid ispermanently attached to a fourth sidewall in the set of four sidewallswhen the shipping box is open.
 6. The reusable shipping box of claim 1,further comprising: a set of panels; wherein at least two sidewalls inthe set of sidewalls each include at least two panels from the set ofpanels; wherein each panel in the set of panels is separated from atleast one other panel in the set of panels by a fold line; and wherein afirst panel of the lid is separated from a first panel of a sidewall bya fold line.
 7. The reusable shipping box of claim 6, furthercomprising: a strip of zipper tape attached to the zipper; wherein eachpanel in the set of panels includes a rigid member surrounded by apliant sheathing layer; and wherein the pliant sheathing layer of eachpanel in the set of panels it connected to the strip of zipper tape. 8.The reusable shipping box of claim 1, further comprising: a set ofpanels; wherein the lid and each sidewall in the set of four sidewallsinclude at least one panel from the set of panels; and wherein eachpanel in the set of panels is separated from at least one other panel inthe set of panels by a fold line.
 9. The reusable shipping box of claim8, further comprising: a set of two strips of zipper tape attached tothe zipper; wherein each panel in the set of panels includes a rigidmember surrounded by a pliant sheathing layer; and wherein the pliantsheathing layer of each panel in the set of panels it connected tozipper tape from the set of two strips of zipper tape.
 10. The reusableshipping box of claim 8, wherein: each edge of each panel in the set ofpanels is one of: (i) a fold line; or (ii) a zipper tape extensionconnected to the pliant sheathing layer and having one set of zipperteeth; and the lid, each sidewall in the set of four sidewalls, and thebase are all connected in a single unitary piece when the zipper is openand when the zipper is closed.
 11. A reusable shipping box with ashipping container state and a compacted state, comprising: a lid thatseals the shipping box, a base; a set of four sidewalls; a double pullzipper that is: (i) closed in the shipping container state; (ii) open inthe compacted state; and (iii) allows the shipping box to be folded intothe compacted state when open; a security feature connected to thezipper to detect a breach of the cavity if it is tampered with; and acavity that is: (i) surrounded by the set of four sidewalls, the lid,and the base in the shipping container state; (ii) accessible via thelid when the shipping box is open; and (iii) collapsed in the compactedstate.
 12. The reusable shipping box of claim 11, further comprising: ashipping label area integrated with an exterior surface of the reusableshipping box; wherein the shipping label area is a pocket with atransparent cover.
 13. The reusable shipping box of claim 11, wherein:the zipper seals the lid to first, second and third sidewalls in the setof four sidewalls when the shipping box is sealed; and the lid ispermanently attached to a fourth sidewall in the set of four sidewallswhen the shipping box is open.
 14. The reusable shipping box of claim11, further comprising: a set of panels; wherein at least two sidewallsin the set of sidewalls each include at least two panels from the set ofpanels; wherein each panel in the set of panels is separated from atleast one other panel in the set of panels by a fold line; and wherein afirst panel of the lid is separated from a first panel of a sidewall bya fold line.
 15. The reusable shipping box of claim 14, furthercomprising: a strip of zipper tape attached to the zipper; wherein eachpanel in the set of panels includes a rigid member surrounded by apliant sheathing layer; and wherein the pliant sheathing layer of eachpanel in the set of panels it connected to the strip of zipper tape. 16.The reusable shipping box of claim 11, further comprising: a set ofpanels; wherein the lid and each sidewall in the set of four sidewallsinclude at least one panel from the set of panels; and wherein eachpanel in the set of panels is separated from at least one other panel inthe set of panels by a fold line.
 17. The reusable shipping box of claim16, further comprising: a set of two strips of zipper tape attached tothe zipper; wherein each panel in the set of panels includes a rigidmember surrounded by a pliant sheathing layer; and wherein the pliantsheathing layer of each panel in the set of panels it connected tozipper tape from the set of two strips of zipper tape.
 18. The reusableshipping box of claim 16, wherein: each edge of each panel in the set ofpanels is one of: (i) a fold line; or (ii) a zipper tape extensionconnected to the pliant sheathing layer and having one set of zipperteeth; and the lid, each sidewall in the set of four sidewalls, and thebase are all connected in a single unitary piece when the zipper is openand when the zipper is closed.
 19. A reusable shipping box with ashipping container state and a compacted state, comprising: a lid thatseals the shipping box, a base; a set of four sidewalls; a removabledividing wall located in the cavity to partition items in the reusableshipping box; a zipper that is: (i) closed in the shipping containerstate; (ii) open in the compacted state; and (iii) allows the shippingbox to be folded into the compacted state when open; a security featureconnected to the zipper to detect a breach of the cavity if it istampered with; a cavity that is: (i) surrounded by the set of foursidewalls, the lid, and the base in the shipping container state; (ii)accessible via the lid when the shipping box is open; and (iii)collapsed in the compacted state; and a removable dividing wall locatedin the cavity.
 20. The reusable shipping box of claim 19, furthercomprising: a set of panels; and a strip of zipper tape; wherein eachsidewall in the set of four sidewalls include at least one panel fromthe set of panels; wherein each panel in the set of panels is separatedfrom at least one other panel in the set of panels by a fold line;wherein the zipper seals the lid to first, second and third sidewalls inthe set of four sidewalls when the shipping box is sealed; wherein thelid is permanently attached to a fourth sidewall in the set of foursidewalls when the shipping box is open; wherein each panel in the setof panels includes a rigid member surrounded by a pliant sheathinglayer; wherein the pliant sheathing layer of each panel in the set ofpanels it connected to the strip of zipper tape.